1. Field of the Invention
Apparatuses and methods consistent with the present invention relate to a technique of displaying a menu object, and more particularly, to providing a preview of a menu object.
2. Description of the Related Art
Digital TVs are capable of receiving two types of key events: an Abstract Windowing Toolkit (AWT) KeyEvent, and a UserEvent of the Multimedia Home Platform (MHP). An AWT KeyEvent is available for only user interface (UI) objects, and a UserEvent is an application program interface (API) that allows a key event to be available for objects rather than UI objects. Thus, in a UI application of the digital TV, the AWT KeyEvent can be used in constructing a menu or a key event can be provided using the UserEvent.
Also, in a Java UI application for use in digital TVs, an object corresponding to a key event is registered using an API call provided by middleware. Then, when a user selects a predetermined key via an input device, such as a remote controller, a key event is generated, and the middleware provides the key event to registered objects.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, selectable objects 10 are present on a screen of a digital TV, and it is possible to move a selector from one of the objects 10 to a neighboring object 10 using up, down, left and right arrow keys.
For example, when one of the up, down, left and right arrow keys is selected after a specific object is activated, a new object located in the direction of the selected arrow key is activated, that is, the selector is moved to the new object. Here, an application for the digital TV supports an API that allows movement between selectable objects using the arrow keys. In this case, an application programmer registers a specific object, and objects to which a selector can be moved from the specific object in an upward, downward, left, or right direction, using the API.
However, an application for a digital TV must be downloaded for each broadcast, and thus, a user may have difficulties in getting accustomed to a new menu whenever he or she uses a new UI application.
While there is a manual of a PC application which can be received in a document format, but there is no manual of an application for broadcasting. Thus, a user must manipulate the application for broadcasting to learn how to use a menu through manipulation of a remote controller by himself/herself in real time.
In particular, since a unified UI does not exist, many application programmers have produced various types of UIs, and a large number of existing applications are actually manufactured such that a menu cannot be recognized at a first glance. Accordingly, if a user has never used an application before, the user cannot recognize at first glance the result of selecting an up, down, left or right arrow key.
In addition, if a TV system has low performance or an application is complicated, a user may misunderstand that an operation corresponding to movement between menus is not performed due to a delay time during the movement.
Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-0048776, entitled “Method of Executing Help Function in Digital Television Receiver”, discloses displaying main help items including the titles of external elements of a digital TV receiver on a first area of a screen when a user pushes a help button, indicating one of the titles of the external elements with a cursor as the user manipulates cursor buttons, displaying a detailed configuration of the external element indicated by the cursor on a second area of the screen, indicating a part of the detailed configuration displayed by the cursor as the user manipulates the cursor buttons, and displaying a help description of the indicated part on a third area of the screen. However, the above publication does not describe a technique of providing a preview of a menu object.